Tempter of Fate
by T-Squared34
Summary: This was one time that going back in time would not save him. What was lost was lost for good. He had lost his life, his meaning, his reason for existence. No, not his destiny for that would forever shadow him, but the means by which he remained human.
1. Prologue

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A/N: This is my first fanfic so...It pretty much starts right after the S2 finale. This is not what I think will happen, but what I want to happen. The Prologue speaks for itself.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC. Wish I did though.

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**July 1, 2013**

Nothing had turned out like it was supposed to. Something had gone wrong. What he did not know, but he would find out. He was alone in the dark room. Nothing but the rats disturbed him. It had been a long time since he had been alone. It was nice in a way, but the reason for him being alone left him cold and broken.

He had not expected these results, but then again who could have. It was amazing that he had survived. The battle was lost before it had begun, but the resistance always fought on. Who knew if things would turn or not; they hadn't. In the end it had cost a great many lives for little gain. He had miscalculated, and that was rare. It had cost him a great deal more than anyone would ever suspect for he was alone, and would forever be alone. He had lost the one thing that he had sworn he would never lose. The one thing he cared for. The one thing he could not live without.

How could he have let this happen? This was one time that going back in time would not save him. What was lost was lost for good. He had lost his life, his meaning, his reason for existence. No, not his destiny for that would forever shadow him, but the means by which he remained human. He had lost his love, his heart, his soul, his being.

John Connor, "The Savior of Mankind," sat huddled in a corner alone as he wept for the first time since the war began. He vowed that he would find out what had happened and how these disastrous events had unfolded. He would be strong for that was what his love would want. The resistance would never be the same, for he would never be the same. He would find a way to fix this, and that started with finding a way to get out of here.

As far as he knew no one had ever escaped from Century, at least no one who lived to tell about it, but he would find a way. He had to find a way. He had to avenge his love. They would pay, they would all pay. Everyone thought that Judgment Day was hell, but that was before his love had been lost. They would wish for hell, for what he was going to do to them would make it pale in comparison.


	2. Fate

**A/N: I totally screwed up and put April 15, 2009 instead of 2007 in my original posting. I had forgotten that they jumped from 1999 to 2007 in the show. 2007 was the year they were supposed to return to after coming back from 2027. I guess I've just gotten used to putting 2009 on things that I did so here. I fixed it so....I would have caught it sooner, but nobody reviewed and said anything and I didn't notice it until I was writing chapter 3. Sorry for the confusion.**

**This chapter is what I meant by being after the S2 Finale. Again this is my first fanfic so go easy on the reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC. Wish I did Though**

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**July 1, 2013**

He had cried in the corner for but a few minutes. What would his troops think if they saw him now? As he sat there a broken man, he realized that they would think he was weak. Everyone lost loved ones. That was part of war. He also realized they were right. Now was not the time to be weak, but the time to avenge. He sat there for hours contemplating how he was going to do it, and finally he figured out how to do it. Now all that remained was but to wait for the time to put his plan into action.

As he waited he remembered what he had lost. He had to remember so that he could steel himself for what he was about to do. He had to remember what he had lost and how he had lost it. He had to remember how much it meant to him and how he had been changed by it. He had to remember……….

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**Sometime in the year 2027**

The crackling lightning and the blue sphere faded away. In its place sat John Connor. He had traveled through time with a T-1000. He did not know exactly what year it was, but he knew that it was sometime past Judgment Day. As he sat there letting this all sink in he remembered something.

"Where's Cameron? Where's her body," he asked knowing full well where it was.

"It doesn't go through," the T-1000 responded.

Just then he heard the barking of dogs, and he rushed to find something to cover his naked body with. He heard a man shout, "Got one, got one" as he pulled on the coat he had found. He knew what the man had thought he had found, and he turned to tell the T-1000, but it was already gone. The man rounded the corner and pointed his gun at John.

"I'm not metal; I'm human," John said as he realized he was dangerously close to being shot.

"Don't move. Don't move," responded the man.

"I told you I'm not met…." Before he could finish the sentence he heard the man ordered to stand down. He was relieved, but only for a few seconds as he realized who had given the order.

_Derek._ He had thought that he would never see him again, but here standing in front of him was his uncle, who had, not even 48 hours ago, been shot in the head. _Of course he is alive. This is the younger version I saw that day at the park._

"Look in his eyes. He has about as much metal in him as you do," Derek was saying.

"Derek," John said barely able to find the will to speak.

"Yeah?"

"John. John Connor."

"I know a lot of people kid, but I don't know you," Derek said as he turned to his men. "Anyone know a John Connor?" No one replied. Of course they didn't. He had jumped through time. Therefore, he had jumped over his becoming the leader of mankind.

"Well….you know what? I think you're goin' to be famous. My brother's back and you've got his coat on," Derek said as John turned to where he pointed. John was stunned. He had always dreamed of meeting his father, but he had never expected it to be this soon.

As John considered this for a minute, he glanced past his father, and there he saw the thing he had traveled through time to find. As the relief washed over him, he noticed how she was squatted down playing with a dog. _That cannot be Cameron. If it was her, the dog would be going crazy._ As he realized this his face fell, but before anyone could notice, he hardened himself.

His father came up to him and said, "Well, boy, if you couldn't find any clothes at least you could have taken Derek's coat and not mine." Everyone laughed except for John and Derek.

"It was the only thing I could find at the time, but if you want it back you can have it," John responded as he started to take the coat off.

"Wait. I never said that I wanted it back. I just said I wished you would have taken Derek's. Keep it. You'll need something to cover yourself with on the way back to base."

"Thanks," was all John could get out.

"Alright, we've spent enough time out in the open. Let's get back before the metal finds us," Kyle said as he began to lead his entourage back the way it had come.

All the way back to base, John could not help but to stare at the girl that looked just like Cameron. _Must be Allison._ His staring did not go unnoticed either.

"Why do you keep staring at me? You're kinda freakin' me out you know," she said after she noticed the way John had been staring at her..

"You remind me of someone I know."

"Oh. Was she someone important to you,' she asked. She could tell by the way he had stared that she was, but decided to ask anyway.

"Yes," was all he could think of to say. _She must be someone important to me. I traveled to hell for her. What does that mean exactly? Do I love her? Can I love her? Can she love me? Does she love me?_ He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed that everyone had stopped. The men were uncovering a door to a tunnel that had been hidden behind scrap pieces of metal and debris.

After they had gone through a series of checkpoints in the base, the troop dispersed leaving only Derek, Kyle and John. They led John through a series of tunnels before finally stopping before a small tent.

"You can stay here for now. Don't go wandering around. Just because we let you come with us does not mean that we trust you," Derek said.

"Clothes are in the tent. If you need anything else let us know," Kyle said as he glared at his brother.

John went into the tent and lay down on his bed, which was a tiny worn out mattress. _How do I find her? What do I do after I find her? How do I get back to my mom?_ At the thought of his mother, he quickly became angry. _She left me. She let me go alone with a T-1000 into some distant future. Yes, she knew she couldn't stop me from going, but she could have come with me. Why did she let me come alone? She said that she would stop it. Well, mom looks like you failed. _After over an hour of contemplating his situation and trying to figure out how to get Cameron back, he fell asleep.

He awoke a few hours later. It took him a minute to adjust to his surroundings, but he quickly remembered where he was and why he was here. He closely studied his tent. It was quite bare. There were two sets of clothes beside his mattress, but other than that the tent was empty. He was just about to get up when someone entered his tent.

The T-1000 entered his tent in the shape of Catherine Weaver. _Must be in that shape so I will realize who or what it is._ As the T-1000 stood before him, he realized that it had something important to tell him._ Hopefully it has found John Henry._

"I have found John Henry," it stated.

"Really? Where is he," he asked trying to keep the hope from creeping into his voice.

"He is at Serrano Point, which is about 15.6 miles from here He has learned much on how Skynet operates."

"What about Cameron's chip?"

"He has obtained another chip, and he is trying to adapt this into a chip much like Cameron's, but more sophisticated."

"So she is okay. He hasn't done anything to her chip," he asked hoping he would not hear his worst fear.

"No, her chip is still intact, and she is just like she was before she gave it to him," the T-1000 replied.

John sighed and relaxed. He felt like a great weight had been lifted off of him, but he quickly realized that this was not the end of his nightmare. He still had to get her and return her to 2009 where she would be safe, or as safe as anyone ever was.

"We need to go. John Henry said that the time has come to travel back," the T-1000 said breaking John from his thoughts.

"Alright let's go. She is the only reason I'm here anyway," John replied.

"I know," the T-1000 said.

As they were getting up he remembered something. "How did he build the TDE and why is it at Serrano Point," he asked.

The T-1000 responded, "I did not know exactly what date John Henry came back on. I knew what year and what month, but not precisely what day. He has been here for a little over one and a half weeks studying Skynet and collecting hardware to build the TDE. It is at Serrano point because that is the only area he could find to power it."

This seemed to reassure John so it opened the tent flap and stepped out with John following. As they rounded the corner, they bumped into Allison. She looked from John to the T-1000 with fear on her face. She realized that the person that was accompanying John was not a person at all.

"Metal!" She shouted as she turned and ran down the tunnel.

After that is was chaos. Men were running everywhere trying to figure out what was going on. Dogs were being led around with men armed men holding their leashes. Then John saw what he hoped he wouldn't see, Allison leading Derek and Kyle along with a group of at least twenty armed resistance fighters.

"We have to get out of here now," John said as he turned toward the T-1000, which was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the fucking metal, Connor," Derek screamed as he stopped in front, his face only inches away from John's.

"I'm right here," replied the T-1000 from behind the group. As everyone turned it shot spears out killing four resistance fighters in an instant.

"Ah, hell," Derek said as he opened up with his rifle. "Die you fucking metal bitch! Die!"

The T-1000 simply responded by killing eight more men and knocking Derek and Kyle out cold. The rest of the men retreated around the corner trying to figure out what they were dealing with and how to take it down.

John decided that he had seen enough and that it was time to make his getaway. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. The T-1000 suddenly appeared ahead of him taking out men at one of the checkpoints. _How the hell did she get in front of me? I didn't even see her as she passed me._ He quickly pushed it from his mind. It had saved him from having to deal with them. After several more encounters, they finally made there way out of the base.

"Alright, which way now," John asked while trying to recover from the action.

"We move south."

They quickly moved through the debris of what had at one time been Los Angeles. They used the debris to avoid being spotted by the HK's, which routinely patrolled the area. A little over three hours later they finally arrived at their destination.

Lying on his stomach on a hill overlooking the nuclear complex, John looked and spotted John Henry. He would have completely missed him, had he not had the assistance of the T-1000. Just as he was about to get up he spotted six T-888 coming in from the west, moving into the complex. They would be upon John Henry in a matter of minutes. John stood and raced down the hill. As he raced down the hill shots rang out and bullets and plasma rained all around him. He chanced a glance over his shoulder to see Derek and Kyle along with fifty resistance fighters. Among them was Allison.

He had to reach John Henry before the T-888's and the resistance. He had to. _Without her my life is worthless. _He ran as fast as he had ever run dodging the bullets as he ran. He finally reached the bottom of the hill and stopped in front of John Henry.

"I hope your ready to time travel John Henry because if you're not then I think were about to be turned into roasted chicken," John said out of breath. He realized what he said when he saw the look of confusion on John Henry's face. "We're about to die," he rephrased.

"Oh. Yes, I'm ready for time travel. Follow me," John Henry replied.

John Henry quickly led them through the complex and stopped in front of an unsuspecting room.

"It's in here," he stated as he opened the room.

It was just like the basement of Ziera Corp, except it did not have much of the computer equipment that the basement had. However, it did have what was needed to get the job done.

"Before we go I need you to take the chip in my head out and replace it with the one I have reprogrammed," John Henry said.

"We don't have time for that now," John replied.

"We will make time."

Seeing that he would not win the fight with the machine John did as he was asked. The

T-888's must have bought them time by distracting the resistance fighters. That would not last long though. The resistance fighters were good at what they did, and what they did was kill metal.

After he had finished replacing John Henry's chip, John realized something. _How am I going to get Cameron's chip back to 2009? If her body didn't come through, neither will her chip._

"How am I going to get Cameron's chip back to 2009," John asked in near panic.

"You will not…"

Before John Henry could finish John yelled, "What! You mean to tell me that I traveled to the year 2027 for nothing! Well I'll just replace your chip again and hers will go through."

"That is not necessary. If you had not interrupted me I would have explained," John Henry replied. "I will place her chip in this vacuum sealed tube and place it within myself where you can retrieve it once we are back in 2009."

"Will that work?"

"I am 90% percent certain that it will," John Henry replied as he put the chip into the tube and placed it into a small incision in his abdomen.

After John Henry had finished, he started to prep the TDE. When he was almost done the door burst open and in came the T-1000.

"I have held of the T-888's and resistance fighters for as long as I can. You must go now I will try to hold them off while you finish preparing the TDE," it stated.

Just as John Henry had finished and the TDE had started to form the ever familiar blue sphere, the door again burst open and this time fifteen resistance fighters poured in.

"What the hell is that," asked Derek as he stepped into the room.

His reply came in the form of a spear to the chest. After that all hell broke loose. Bullets and plasma rained around the room.

All the while Derek was yelling, "I knew it Connor. I knew we couldn't trust you. From the moment I saw you I knew you were a metal lover!"

John didn't reply for he was stunned by the two things that happened next. The T-1000 ran a spear through the head of Allison, who had peaked around a column in the room to get a good shot. Seeing someone, who had looked just like Cameron, killed was not an easy thing for him to see. Upon seeing Allison killed, his father finally snapped and ran crazily over to the T-1000 and started to beat it with his rifle since his bullets had had no effect. The T-1000 ran a spear from the bottom of his chin out the top of his head. Upon seeing this John started to step out of the sphere, but was pushed back in.

"Don't be stupid. This will not matter once you get back to your time," the T-1000 said.

As he stood there with fire and plasma raining around him, tears started to roll down his face. He might have sent his father to die, but he had never actually seen him die before. It was one of the worst moments of his life.

Just as the sphere was taking on its full shape a shot rang out, and then he was gone.

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**April 14, 2007**

He was naked again standing in the basement of Ziera Corp. John Henry stood beside him, but the T-1000 was not there. _It must have covered our exit until the very end_. The room was empty except for Cameron's body and a mattress beside of it.

_Mom must have moved down here to wait for my return._ His mother, however, was not there at the moment, something for which he was actually grateful for.

"How are we back in the basement," John asked feeling a little light headed, which he attributed to the "time lag."

"I made some minor alterations before we traveled. That is why it took the sphere so long to form. Here," John Henry said as he handed the tube containing Cameron's chip to John and began to leave the room.

"Oh, thanks," John replied as he slowly moved over to Cameron's body. He placed the chip in and waited. Finally he heard the whir of her systems activating and he let out a big sigh. A sigh that had been pent up since he had first discovered what Cameron had done.

She finally opened her eyes or at least one as the other was just a blue orb. She looked up at him confused. "John?"

"Yeah, Cam," he replied.

"You're bleeding," she said as she ran her hand along his face scanning him.

"I know," he replied dismissively.

"What happened," she asked sounding worried.

"It's along story, but needless to say I protected you for once and got shot in the process," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"We should get you to a medical facility," she said sounding like she was going to cry.

He dismissed her worries with the shaking of his head, "I'm fine, really. I'm fine."

He stared at her for a long moment studying her once unmarked face. It was now blown half away giving way to the coltan that resided underneath.

After a minute or so of looking into her eyes, while he cupped her coltan cheek, he said, "I've never seen anything more beautiful." And with that everything went black

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**A/N: I really don't like the whole concept that the finale portrayed. I think that they will stay in the future for more than one episode, but that is not what my story is about. It is about John/Cam. I don't like Allison either as you can tell.**


	3. Reason

**A/N: I totally screwed up and put April 15, 2009 instead of 2007 in my original posting. I had forgotten that they jumped from 1999 to 2007 in the show. 2007 was the year they were supposed to return to after coming back from 2027. I guess I've just gotten used to putting 2009 on things that I did so here. I fixed it so....I would have caught it sooner, but nobody reviewed and said anything and I didn't notice it until I was writing chapter 3. Sorry for the confusion.**

**So there is no confusion the 2013 scene is after they come back from 2027. So that means that that is the real future. This is a more drama centered chapter. I hope you enjoy. Remember this is my first fanfic. please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC, I wish I did though.**

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**April 15, 2007**

John awoke to the gentle rubbing of a hand on his cheek.

_God, I hope that is Cameron and not mom. I'm not ready to face that yet. _

The last thing he remembered was looking into Cameron's eyes, and then he had passed out. He wondered how long it would take Cameron to figure out that he was awake.

"You're awake." Cameron said softly.

_Damn it. Not long. How could she tell?_

He opened his eyes to see her sitting on the bed beside him stroking his face in a calming manner. He noticed that most of her beautiful face had regenerated. There was only one small place on her right cheek that had not fully done so, allowing the coltan to show through in the dim light.

"Yeah, how could you tell," John asked. His curiosity getting the better of him.

"Your core temperature rose three degrees when I started to rub your cheek. Also, your face turned a little red and you started to smile," she replied in her usual monotone voice.

"Oh, It must be a little warm in here," John said starting to get embarrassed.

"No, the room's temperature has remained the same for the past four hours. It was you," she replied with a very slight hint of humor in her voice.

_Does she find this funny? God, this is embarrassing._

She looked at him a few minutes while he thought. She had many questions. She was confused, and she never liked being confused.

"Why did you come for me, John," she asked.

John knew this was coming, but he was not yet prepared to answer. He had to buy some time, so he could sort this out, for he really did not know why he had gone after her.

_Yes, you do. You're just not ready to admit it to yourself yet. Think John. You traveled through time for her. What other reason is there"_

"Where are we,"he asked changing the subject.

"We are at a safe house that your mother set up," she replied, "You were shot in the leg and lost a lot of blood. I had to leave you with John Henry, so that I could get you more blood. When I returned your mother was sitting by your bedside holding your hand. You had already been unconscious for more than two hours. After I transfused the blood, and you were stable, we moved you to this safe house."

"How long have I been unconscious," he asked glad to finally understand what had happened while he was out.

"For 14 hours 12 minutes and 32 seconds," she replied after checking her chronometer.

"Where's she at now," he asked.

"She and John Henry went to pick up some supplies," she replied.

"When will they be back," he asked not really wanting to know the answer. He was not ready to face his mother yet.

_That's one battle I'd rather not face. She must be pissed._

"They left just before you woke," She said as she calculated how long it would take Sarah to get the supplies and return. "They should return in one hour and twenty seven minutes.

"You never answered my question, John," she said pressing him to answer her.

_She never gives up, does she? _

He paused a moment to gather his thoughts before he answered, knowing that this was a pivotal moment in their relationship. This could be the end of something before it began or a new beginning.

"You want to know why I came for you," he asked rhetorically.

He proceeded after she simply cocked her head slightly towards the side in her ever familiar expression of confusion. She could not understand why it was so hard for John to answer the question.

"The reason was that I can't survive without you." He knew it sounded lame, but it was the truth. He hadn't fully realized just how true those words were, until he had said them out loud.

"You do not require my presence for your body to function," she replied with reasoned logic.

"No, my body doesn't, but my sanity does," John said saddened by the fact that she did not seem to understand what he was trying to say.

"John, your future self would have sent back another protector if you had needed one," she said still unable to understand why John required her presence.

"No, Cameron, you don't understand. I require this," he said reaching up and tapping her temple. "I require more than your mere presence. I need YOU. All of you. Not just your ability to protect me, though I am thankful for that, but your uncanny ability to calm me, your undeniable logic, or quirky comments. However, more than anything, I need to look into those big brown eyes and know that you're there at my side and that you are safe. I am willing to go through anything to make that happen. I have already traveled through time for you. I will do anything in my power to keep you safe."

John was out of breath. He had never before given such a speech. No time in his life had he needed to. Why would the future leader of mankind need to give such a speech? He had more important things to worry about.

_At least, I did. Not anymore._

He had not meant it to come out like that, for he was unsure of how she would react. However, once he had started, it had poured out of him.

"John, you do not need to protect me. It is I who need to protect you," she said as she was finally beginning to understand what John had done for her and what he would do.

"No, Cameron, you're wrong. I need to protect you just as much as you need to protect me," he replied knowing she still did not fully understand him.

"Why," she asked cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Because what you looked like after you helped my mom escape from prison, and what you look like now is the worst thing I have ever had to endure. It is even worse than seeing my father killed before my eyes. To know that you went through that to help me, and that you did it because I asked you to, is killing me inside."

"John, I can't feel pain. What you see was just, what you would call, a "flesh wound," she said touching her coltan cheek.

"I know, but that is not the point," he replied.

"Then what is the point, John," she asked.

"The point, Cam, is that I love you, okay," he said taking her hand into his and pulling her down until she was lying beside him on the bed. She allowed him to pull her down with no resistance. He moved over until they were touching. It felt good to have her so close to him, to feel her warmth up against him. He had never felt such joy before. He had had little cause to before she came into his life.

He let out a sigh of contentment and continued, "I think I have loved you for a long time now, but was not willing to admit it to myself."

"John, it is not wise for you to love me. It impedes my mission," she replied pulling her hand out of his and moving to get up off the bed.

"I don't care if it's wise or unwise, if it impedes your mission, or if it kills me. It's how I feel. You can't do anything to change it. No one can. You could malfunction again and try to kill me, but I would still love you. I will love you no matter what," he stated retaking her hand and intertwining their fingers trying to pull her back to him. She did not allow it this time and simply remained sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Then I will leave," she said simply.

"If you leave then I will have nothing to live for," he said. "I don't care about the future. The only thing I care about is you. Without you, my life is meaningless, worthless, and simply not worth living."

She could see that he meant every word. He deeply loved her, and there was nothing anyone could do that would sway him from it. If she left, she was sure of what he would do. She did not want him to resort to that. Not because he was the leader of the resistance, but simply because she did not want to put him through that kind of pain. She did not like it when John was in pain.

"I will not leave you, John." She said after a long pause moving to again lay at his side.

"I hope that you're not doing it just so I can become some kind of savior," he replied with a bit of sarcasm creeping into his voice.

"I'm not."

"Then why are you staying," he asked with a new hope and a new joy beginning to swell within him.

"Because I do not want to put you through that kind of pain. I do not like to see you hurt, whether it is physically or mentally."

"Oh," John said as he looked down at their intertwined hands. The hope and joy beginning to seep from him.

"And because I love you," she added cupping his chin with her free hand and pulling it up so she could look into his eyes.

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**July 1, 2013**

Something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. This was not the plan.

_How could such a well-planned operation turn into such a cluster-fuck?_

This operation had been meticulously planned for months. It was supposed to go off without a hitch.

_What_'s _the saying? Something about the best laid plans...._

It hadn't gone off without a hitch. That was for certain. Yes, the main goal had been accomplished, but the cost had been high. However, the one person, that they had sworn not to let any harm come to, was now lost.

_How could this have happened? _

Now everyone was worried about the repercussions of the operation. For once the true nature of the operation was found out, there was no telling how far reaching the consequences would be. Every member of the operation wondered at how they would remedy the situation and avoid those consequenses. Of course, they were all willing to pay for their involvement, for the main goal of the operation was of the utmost importance.

They had not wanted to go on as things had been before, it was just not natural. That was the reason they had performed the operation. They would not let their charge be harmed physically or mentally. They would not let him be manipulated. They would not let his judgment become hindered by anything or anyone. They needed their charge to resurrect their hopes for a peaceful future. Without their charge how could they continue on in this war of extermination?

_They never even considered that they were the ones being manipulated. They thought that what they did was for the benefit of the human race. They never even considered an alternative. That someone wanted their "leader" to suffer like I have suffered. To lose his love like I have lost mine. To have to live with this pain and agony for the rest of his life. _

They had lost John Connor. They had let their leader be taken by Skynet. They had let their one chance at a peaceful future be lost to the very enemy that had hunted him throughout time. They had delivered him into the hands of the enemy that had hunted him throughout his life from some distant future. A future that he had hoped he would never see. Not only had he now seen it, but the very people he was trying to save from extinction had made this a hell on earth for him. They had taken what he had held most dear from him. They, his most trusted had betrayed him. They had had good intentions, but as the saying goes, "the way to hell is paved with good intentions." John Connor now resided in that hell.

_I just did not plan on his life being cut short in the process. He might be a metal loving bastard, but we need him to win the war. Without him the war is lost. He has this uncanny fucking ability to thwart Skynet. Not only can we survive under his leadership, but we have a chance to do the unthinkable. Beat Skynet. Now all is lost for not even John Connor can escape from Skynet's clutches._

Yes, no one knew if he was still alive or not. However, they knew that if he was alive and he found out the true nature of the operation, that they would wish he that he had died. For the punishment, that he would bring down upon them all, would make Skynet look like a saint.

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**April 15, 2007**

John was stunned. He sat there trying to let what she had just said, sink in. He had hoped that she could feel emotion, but it was just hope. He had never expected her to be able to return his feelings. He had pretty much resigned himself to a one sided relationship. Not that he would have loved her any less, but it would make him love her exponentially more so if she was able to return his feelings. He could not be sure, however, if what she really felt for him was love, or if it was just her programming. Her CPU might consider her protectiveness of him as a form love.

He wanted to believe her, but the logical part of his brain told him that she might also be saying this, because she felt that it was what he had wanted to hear. There was just no way for him to know what was going through her head. She had told him once before that she loved him. Was that true? Did she really love him then, or was it that she was trying to fool him, so that she could kill him? He did not believe her then, so how could he believe her now? Then again, she had told him then that he loved her. She was right about that, but how could she have known something that he had not realized until a few moments ago?

He knew it did not matter, because as he had told her, nothing could affect his love for her. He was sure of what he felt for her, and there was nothing that could stop it. She did not have to return his love for him to love her. He decided, however, that he wanted to know if she really loved him, and what her understanding of love was. He wanted to know if it was her programming or if what she really felt for him was, in fact, love. He felt that he had to know the answer, or it would otherwise plague him for the rest of his life.

"Cam, are you sure you love me," John finally asked after what felt like hours of introspection.

"John, why do you doubt my love for you," she asked looking at him with her big brown eyes.

_She looks like a hurt puppy, _he thought with his heart breaking.

However, before he could reply his mother walked into the room.

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**A/N: I know it's sappy, but this is what the main part of the story is about (the relationship between John and Cameron, and how it evolves). Sorry for the lack of action, but there will be more of that in the coming chapters. I promise. Thanks for reading. Please review.**


	4. Doubt

**A/N: I totally screwed up and put April 15, 2009 instead of 2007 in my earlier chapters. I had forgotten that they jumped from 1999 to 2007 in the show. 2007 was the year they were supposed to return to after coming back from 2027. I guess I've just gotten used to putting 2009 on things that I did so here. I fixed it so....I would have caught it sooner, but nobody reviewed and said anything about it. I didn't notice it until I was writing this chapter. Sorry for the screw up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC. I wish I did, though.**

**Please R&R.**

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**April 15, 2007**

He had not even heard her come in. She stood at the door with a look mixed with anguish and surprise. She had walked in to find her son, the savior of mankind, the leader against the machines, lying in bed, holding hands with a machine. The irony of it did not escape her.

John looked up at his mother with surprise. John, as quickly as his wound would allow, sat up on the bed. Cameron sensing her presence would only complicate the situation, let go of John's hand and moved to leave the room.

However, before she could get off the bed, John reached for her hand and pulled at her to sit back beside him. She looked over her shoulder at him in confusion, but John only gave her a weak smile and pulled her to him.

John was surprised his mother had not already pulled out her favorite shotgun.

_Maybe she hasn't done so because I'm sitting so close to Cameron, and she's afraid she'd hit me too._

Sarah did not know what to think. She had returned from picking up supplies with John Henry, and having left him to his own devices, she had headed to see if her son was conscious. He had not been so when she had left.

She had wanted to tell him that she was sorry for letting him go without her. She wanted to explain her actions to him. She needed to explain her actions to him. But that was not to be. Instead, she had rounded the corner of the bedroom, only to find her son lying in bed with a machine. A machine, who he was still holding hands with.

All of her sorrow that she had had upon entering the room had left her and was replaced with rage. Rage she held on to, so that, when the time came to put the machine down, she could use for strength.

She didn't know whether to turn around and leave, get her shotgun and blow the machine's head off, or give John a few moments to try to explain.

"John, what the hell is going here," she asked with panic and rage in her voice.

"Nothing, mom. I was just talking with Cameron," John replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

_I'm pretty sure that she's going to go get that shotgun now._

Instead she said,"John, I need to talk to you," trying to hint that she wanted Cameron to leave the room.

"Okay, then talk," he replied knowing what she was trying to do.

"Alone," she said authoritatively.

"Cameron's staying. You can either talk with her here or leave," he stated.

Sarah tensed, moving into an aggressive posture. The rage she had been holding onto had just come to a head.

Cameron, seeing that Sarah was on the point of losing her control, let go of John's hand. She then got up and moved to leave the room.

"You have not eaten in 48 hours, John. You require nutrition. ," she stated as she moved to the door.

"I will make you pancakes," she said from the doorway, as John looked on from the bed with a betrayed expression on his face.

Once she was gone, Sarah slowly relaxed her posture.

Not wanting her to go on the offensive about Cameron, John quickly said, "The future was different."

She wanted to respond with a smart-ass remark, but decided against it.

"What do you mean by different," she asked as she stepped into the room and stood beside his bed.

"Well, of course there was the whole Judgment Day thing, but there was also something else."

"What," she asked not knowing how anything else could matter.

"Me. They didn't know anything about me. They had never heard of John Connor," he said.

"You mean that you were not there to lead them," she asked.

"Yeah, I think that it was because I jumped over my becoming this 'savior.' I was not there to become their leader. So, they did not know who I was."

"But that wasn't really all that weird," he continued, "I kind of expected something like that to happen. What was weird was that they seemed to be able to survive without me. They seemed to be able to go on without me."

Seeing that John was beginning to doubt himself and his destiny, the rage left her for the moment to be replaced by her motherly instinct. She sat down on his bed and reached to stroke his face.

"You said that they were able to survive," she asked. Seeing him nod she continued, "I think that they might be able to survive, John, but I don't think that they could win. I don't believe that they could defeat Skynet without you. They might survive for a while, but in the end Skynet will eventually defeat them."

He did not seem to be calmed by her words, but rather, depressed. She realized now, that he had thought that if they did not need him to survive that he would be able to skirt his destiny. She had just dashed those hopes.

"John, you need to embrace your destiny. You are the one person in the world that can defeat Skynet. The world needs you, John. No one else can do what you can do. You need to embrace this fact, and not try to find a way out of it," she said after a few moments.

"I know that, mom," he said starting to get angry.

"Don't you think I've realized that," he went on, "You made pretty damn sure that I could not forget. You've drilled it into my head since I was six years old. I realize that I can never have a normal life."

"Well, it sounded to me like you forgot," she replied. Her rage coming back to the forefront.

"I didn't," he replied glaring at her.

"Make sure you don't, John," she stated.

"So, why did you go after Cameron," she asked changing the subject to the one that she had wanted to talk about.

"Because I need her," he replied knowing that this would not satisfy his mother.

"We were doing just fine before she came along," she said as she began to reminisce about the way things were before Cameron had been thrown into their lives.

"No we were not. We were surviving," John said throwing her words back at her.

"John, just because she looks like a girl, doesn't mean she is one," she stated.

"I know that mom."

"You say you do, but I see the way you look at her, and the way you act around her. You can't develop feelings for her John. She's a machine she can't feel emotion like we do, and if you develop an attachment to her, she will manipulate you with it. She will use it to destroy you."

She could lecture him on becoming the future leader of mankind, but she could not lecture him about Cameron. She didn't know what she was talking about. She knew about terminators, sure, but she did not know anything about Cameron. She was different. She was special. John knew that his mother was just trying to protect him, but what he did not know was why.

_Is she trying to protect me because I'm her son or because I'm to become this "savior of mankind?"_

"Why do you even care, mom," he asked.

"Because I'm your mother, and I don't want to see you hurt, John. I know how these things manipulate people, and I don't want her to do that to you."

"Oh, so it's okay for me to time travel alone to some distant future without knowing if I can get back, but it's not okay for me to develop an attachment to someone that has saved my life countless times?"

He let her think about what he said for a moment before continuing, "Time traveling to the future is not like arriving at an airport, mom. People are not waiting to pick you up, holding up signs with your name on them."

"I know, John…."

"No, mom, you don't. You don't know anything," he said interrupting her.

He had told her that once before. How she did not know anything. Maybe she didn't.

"John, I'm sorry. I thought that maybe I could stop it, and when you got to the other side that it would be a paradise."

"Well, mom, you failed. Failed epically. It wasn't a paradise. It was fucking hell. My own personal hell. And I was there alone," he finished glaring at his mother.

She had not realized just how bad she had betrayed her son until he had said that. How could he ever forgive her? She had let him go without protest, for she knew that she couldn't stop him. She could have gone with him, but she hadn't. She would never forgive herself for that. She would do anything for her son, but when the time had come when he needed her the most, she had left him, forsaken him.

Before either could say anymore, Cameron called out, "John, your pancakes are done."

John slowly got out of the bed and walked out of the room, without so much as a glance towards his mother.

* * *

**June 30, 2013**

He could see that the plan was screwed as soon as the attack began, but his forces were already committed. They needed to take down this facility. It had hindered their ability to conduct missions for over a month. He had had to finally commit his troops. However, once the battle had started, it had turned into chaos.

"Lieutenant, what the hell is going on," he yelled to the man beside him.

"Sir, bravo squad has run into a bit of a problem," the lieutenant replied.

"Well, they had better get their asses moving, because if they don't, then I'm personally going to kick their asses up here," he barked.

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant said as he turned to relay the message.

If bravo squad was not in place to cover their flank then the machines would overrun them. All of the squads had to do their part if the plan was to work. If one squad failed, they all failed.

As always, John led from the front. His squad was always the lead squad. Being the lead squad, meant his squad had the toughest assignments. He was the one who handed out the assignments, and he left the toughest and most crucial ones for himself. He would not let anyone else lead these. There was to much at stake. It was not that he did not trust his officers, for they were all competent men, but he knew that he could get it done better and faster, saving lives in the process.

On this assignment, his squad was the point of the spear. They were the ones, who broke through the enemies lines and opened up a hole for the others to follow. However, if the other squads did not follow as they were meant to, then his squad would be cut off. This was the case at the moment.

As he crouched behind the piece of concrete that was stopping Skynet's minions from killing him, he considered his options. Finally, he raised his head, peeking to look around what had once been a suburb outside of L.A. Now, it looked like a scrap yard with debris from anything, such as, buildings and cars to personal belongings of the people, who had once lived there. All the debris was twisted and charred from the fires of Judgment Day. After a moment of observing his situation, he sank down behind the life saving piece of concrete. He turned back to his lieutenant.

"Lieutenant, you see that big scrap pile about a hundred yards to the northeast," he asked as he pointed to it over his shoulder.

The lieutenant peeked his head over the concrete for a second and then he too sank back down, replying as he did, "Yes, sir."

"The facility should be about three hundred meters on the other side of it," He said as he remembered the scouting report, "We need to make it to that scrap pile, so that we can begin our final assault on the complex."

The lieutenant could only nod as he remembered what he had just seen.

What lay between them and the scrap pile was hell with all its demons coming for them.

* * *

**April 15, 2007**

Cameron could tell as soon as John walked into the kitchen that he was angry. She wondered if it was because of his mother or if he was still feeling betrayed because she had left his side. His mother entered the room, looking to be in turmoil. She glanced toward Cameron, and Cameron saw the look of disgust and revulsion that Sarah gave her.

Sarah, seeing that John had nothing more to say to her, mumbled, "John, I'll be back in a little while. I've got some leads on Kaliba that I need to take care of."

John did not even look up from his plate as his mother left the room.

_There is a 85.9% probability that it is his mother that has angered him._

A strange sensation coursed through her as this came up on her HUD. She had been having many of these strange sensations since the car explosion on John's birthday. She had run many programs and simulations trying to discover the source of these new sensations, and she had found that most of these new sensations were centered around John. However, she could not determine why.

As John sat down at the table, Cameron sat the plate of pancakes in front of him. He immediately started to eat them. He was starving. He hated pancakes because that was all his mother seemed to know how to cook. He did not complain to her, though, because he realized that he would be relishing the thought of eating pancakes in the coming future.

"God, Cam, these are good," he said meaning every word. These had to be the best pancakes that he had ever eaten.

"I am glad you like them, John," she said feeling yet another of her new sensations.

She needed to know what these sensations were. So, she resolved to ask John about them when they were again secluded in his bedroom. John had always explained things to her. Though, he had not done so for a while because of Riley, but now that Riley was out of the picture, he would be able to explain these sensations to her. After all, she reasoned, he did love her and had promised to do anything for her. As she thought this yet another of her new sensations flared throughout her core. This one being by far the strongest.

"What did you do to them," he asked.

"I added vanilla to your mother's recipe," she answered.

"My mom doesn't have a recipe," he replied.

"Yes, she does. The back of the box," she stated in her usual monotone voice.

John almost choked on his food, he laughed so hard.

"John, you should not laugh with food in your mouth. There is a 43% chance that you could choke."

"Well, I won't laugh if you don't joke while I'm eating," he replied with a smile.

After he had finished eating he headed back towards his room. He still needed to rest after having lost all that blood. Cameron followed him to his room. She stood beside his bed until he held out his hand. She took it, and he pulled her down to him. She laid her head on his chest. As she lay there listening to the beating of his heart, she computed possible reasons for her new sensations.

With Cameron's head on his chest and her left arm draped over him, John could not feel anything but contentment. That is, until he remembered what she had told him earlier.

His curiosity finally getting the better of him again, he finally re-asked his former question," Cameron, do you really love me?"

"John, you still doubt my love for you," she asked not bothering to raise her head from his chest.

"Cam, I want to believe you, but you've told me this once before while trying to kill me," he answered.

Both times she had told him that she loved him, she had not really thought about it. It had just come to her, and without realizing what she was doing, she had told him. For a terminator to act on impulse like she had done was next to impossible. They always reasoned things through before acting on them. It was part of their programming, yet she had done so.

The first time she had done it to fool him, so he would not pull her chip. It had almost worked. She could see that he had wanted to believe her, but in the end caution had won out and her chip had been pulled. The second time, she had told him because that was what she believed he had wanted to hear.

Realizing that it would hurt him more in the end if she lied to him any longer, she told him the truth, "I don't know if I love you, John."

He had hoped that she did, but this was what he had expected.

"Do you know what love is," he asked as he ran his fingers through her wonderfully soft hair.

"The affection felt by two persons who are sexually attracted to one another, a very great interest or fondness, to take pleasure or delight in, to caress," she stated simply.

"No, I don't mean the definition. I mean the emotion," he replied.

"Then what is love, John," she asked raising her head to look him in the eyes.

"Love is when you feel that person here," he said tapping his heart, "When they come into a room your heart flutters. You can't take your eyes off them. Their prescence brightens your day. Their absence leaves you broken. They bring joy into your life. You would do anything for that person. Protect them mentally and physically from anyone or anything that tries to harm them. Above all, though, is that you realize that that person is the one person you can not live without."

"Oh, thank you for explaining," she said smiling.

"So, now that you understand what love is, do you love me," he asked looking into her beautiful big brown eyes. Eyes that he could be lost for eternity in. The eyes that seemed to reach to the bottom of his soul.

"Yes."

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**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. It was a little harder to write than I thought it would be. I thought it turned out okay though. Let me know what you thought. **

**Next chapter we will find out why Cameron went to the future and what John Henry has been up to. Also, we will see more action in both timelines. **

**Thanks for reading. Please Review.**


	5. Emotion

**A/N: I promised more action, but when I started writing this chapter, I found that the heavy action may have to wait until next chapter. There were some underlying questions that needed to be answered, and so I have answered them in this chapter. Also your reviews make this worthwhile without them I do not know if I could keep writing. It is definitely harder than I thought it would be and a lot of work. So thanks to all those who have reviewed. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC, though I wish I did.**

**Also, Please do not use any of my story without my consent. Its just rude to do so.**

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****April 15, 2007**

John smiled. His beloved had told him that she returned his affection in kind. Just when he thought that he could not love her anymore than he already did, she surprises him. His heart was so full of love at that moment; it had felt as if it was going to explode.

"So, you do love me, he asked rhetorically as he ran his fingers through her hair and looked down into her eyes as she lay on his chest.

"Yes, John. I do," she replied again smiling at him.

He had done this for over an hour now, asking her if she loved him. It was like he could not believe her; like it was too good to be true. She always replied in the affirmative, smiling as she told him that she did indeed love him, and he would just smile in acknowledgement.

"John," she said after he had been quiet a moment, "I do love you, but I do not know if it is my programming, or if I do truly feel the human emotion of love."

"You're worried that your mission to protect me might be processed by your CPU as a form of love for me," John asked.

"No. I do not have a mission anymore. I choose to protect you," she answered.

John smiled at the thought of her wanting to be around him.

"When did that happen," he finally asked.

"On your birthday. When you handed me the gun, I overrode my mission to terminate you," she responded.

"Yeah, I remember," he replied with the thoughts of his last birthday darkening his mood.

"I'm sorry, John."

"Cam, you don't have to be sorry. You were not yourself," he said.

"But that's just it John. I was myself, in every since of the word. I was doing what I was programmed to do," she replied sorrowfully.

"You may have been programmed to terminate me, Cam, but you just told me that you overrode it. That's not you anymore," he said as he caressed her face with his free hand.

If it was, in fact love that she felt, then this was one of the many reasons why she loved John. He made her feel special, different. He made her feel like she was not just this Cyborg bent on killing, but a person, maybe not in the literal sense, but figuratively. He wanted her to be more, and so she would be, for his sake and for hers.

"Cameron, it still doesn't matter to me if it is your programming or not. Just as long as you love me, nothing else matters," he said after a moment of silence, bringing Cameron back to reality.

"I know, John. You've told me countless times tonight that nothing could sway your love for me, but it is confusing for me not know if my love for you is my programming or an equivalent to a human emotion," she said looking up from his chest at him. The look was a plea for understanding.

"Can you have an equivalent to a human emotion," he asked as he moved to sit up on the bed. She moved so that they were sitting across from each other.

"All newer model terminators have an emotion simulator. These simulators just mimic human emotions. However, being far more advanced than the average terminator, my emotion simulator gives me the ability to develop human emotions, which makes me more efficient in infiltrating the resistance. However, Skynet keeps these emotions from developing to deeply, which keeps these emotions from controlling my actions. They do this with the very thing that gives me my emotions, the emotion simulator," she explained.

"So, you have a basic range of emotions," he asked.

"Yes. At least I did. Since the explosion on your birthday my emotion simulator has been malfunctioning," she replied.

"Malfunctioning how?"

"I have been developing new sensations, that run through my core, at inopportune times, and these new sensations have been coercing me into actions I would not normally take."

"What do you mean at inopportune times?"

"For example, when you are in danger, a sensation runs through me. It is like a mixture between the human emotions of rage and fear. Rage that anything would try to hurt My John, and fear that I will not be able to stop them from doing so."

As she said this, John could see the rage build on her face as she relived the many times that he had been in danger.

"I believe that my malfunctioning emotion simulator has been allowing these new sensations to develop into more than the basic human emotions," she continued.

"So these are, in fact, the equivalent of human emotions," he said.

"Yes. These are the equivalent of human emotions," she replied.

"Oh. I never knew you could feel like that," he said as he now saw the beautiful person in front of him, instead of the cyborg.

"Yes. You thought I was just a machine," she replied in a some-what downcast voice, looking at the bed, reliving the moments he had suggest that she was nothing more.

He cupped her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his, "I may have said those things, but I never believed them."

"You were pretty convincing, John, and I should know. I'm a terminator after all," she replied with a weak smile.

"I think I was trying to convince myself more than anyone else. The things I felt for you were things I thought I should never feel," he said as he relived the inner turmoil that had been his feelings toward Cameron. His feelings had been like the Bering Sea: icy, rough and unpredictable. Now, however, they were more like the oceans of the Caribbean: warm, calm, and clear.

"Then why do you let yourself feel them now," she asked bringing John from his introspection.

"Because I'm tired of fighting you, Cam," he answered.

"John, I would never harm you. I would let myself burn before I even considered it," she said.

"I know, Cam. What I meant was that I was tired of repressing my feelings for you. I tried and tried to keep myself from loving you, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I just had to let myself love you. "

"I would never let you burn, anyway. I'd let you do whatever you wanted to me," he said with a smile.

She smiled in return, and before John knew what had happened, he was lying back on the bed with Cameron sitting upon him, straddling his hips. His hands trapped by hers above his head.

"Whatever I want, huh," she asked in a rather husky voice.

John could only nod in response. The feeling of Cameron upon him taking his voice away.

"I might just resort to torture," she said as she began to grind her hips into his.

"If you keep doing that you won't ever get a chance to torture me. I'll give up everything I know before you make it that far," he replied.

Just as Cameron was about to reply, John Henry walked into the room.

He looked upon the scene before him with a robotic smirk.

"John, your mother has returned. We need to talk about some of the things I have discovered."

Cameron got up off of John and stood beside the bed waiting for John.

John let out a groan of displeasure and replied to John Henry with a voice full of sarcasm, as he moved to get up off the bed, "Thanks, you just saved me from getting tortured."

John Henry just looked at him with the Cromartie smirk still on his face, as he lead the way out of the room.

"Nothing can save you from me, John," Cameron whispered seductively in his ear as she followed him out of the room. "I will get to torture you eventually."

"I hope so. I'm definitely looking forward to it," John replied as he followed John Henry to where his mother awaited.

* * *

**June 30, 2013**

John realized that the situation had become worse. Bravo squad"s and now Charlie squad's advances had been driven to a halt by a Skynet counter attack. Without those two squads to cover his flanks, his squad had been cut-off. He knew that they were all trying to break through to him. He just hoped that it was soon. He did not know how long his squad would be able to hold off Skynet's minions.

His squad consisted of twelve men, including himself. He had two lieutenants, Reed and Johnson, two corporals, Jackson and Andrews, and the rest were war hardened foot soldiers. His squad was small in number compared to the other squads. He liked it like that; the smaller squad acted more like a family, making the closeness of his squad an added weapon at his disposal. His squad made up for their small number with toughness and heart.

They were best of the best. They had all fought along side of each other since the beginning of the war. They all knew their jobs and their place. John was sure of both. They all knew who was in command. Although, they might raise objections to his orders, they always followed them to the letter.

They all thought that he was a cold-hearted bastard, and he let them think that. In fact, he encouraged that belief. No one had ever seen his softer side. That is other than his beloved. He saved all his love and devotion for her. No one had ever seen the side that he showed to her. It was for her alone. Likewise, no one had ever seen the glowing humanity that she saved for him alone.

He was only himself when he was with her, and she was only herself when she was with him. To everyone else, she was the protector of John Connor, and not his friend, lover, and soul. To everyone else, he only showed what the men call "the bastard face." It was always the same face. A face that never showed emotion. Though his face was emotionless, his voice could cut a man in two, as could his glare.

As he sat there contemplating his way out of this situation, a figure came upon him from the shadows.

"Metal," Reed yelled as everyone turned to bring their rifles to bare on the figure that had infiltrated their lines.

John recognized the distinctive figure as it moved to him.

"Stand down," he yelled before anyone could open fire on the figure.

The figure moved to his side where he sat behind the piece of concrete.

He let out a huge sigh of relief that he had not realized he was holding.

"Cam, you almost got a round to the face," he said to the figure that had sat beside him.

"I knew you would not let that happen, John," she replied with a smile.

Even after all the years they had been together, she always took his breath away. He would love to just lay in bed with her, spending all of his time tenderly kissing every inch of her, but that was not even close to realistic. He had too much responsibility on his shoulders to spend the day in, what he thought of as, heaven. His day off would have to wait. He could not allow his relationship with Cameron to interfere with his decision making, or for that matter, anything doing with the resistance. They would think that she was manipulating him and blame her for his short-falls.

He could not allow that to happen, and so when not confined to their room, he had to keep his relationship with her clearly business-like. There was already rumblings and grumblings among the squads about Cameron. So, he could not afford to do anything that would give them a reason to turn on her.

"Skynet has cut us off from the other squads, John," she said, "We are effectively surrounded."

"I know. I got a report from Lt. Johnson," he replied.

"So, have you found a way we can avoid that out there" he asked as he pointed over his shoulder to the scene that lay between them and the facility. Cameron had volunteered to find a way around Skynet's minions. John had reluctantly agreed after a long discussion with Cameron. She could be so stubborn at times. Once she committed herself to an action there was no swaying her from her resolution to follow it through. John attributed it to her thick coltan skull.

As much as she did not want to leave John's side, she knew that this mission was vital to the resistance, and she would not allow it to fail. John could take care of himself. Though, she had told him in no uncertain terms not to move from his position until she got back.

He had not moved.

He had apparently not breathed since she had left, either. He had worried about her as much as she had worried about him. He had told her before she left that she had better return unscathed, or he would personally take her back to the base and make her wait there until the battle was over.

"No. As I stated before we are effectively surrounded, John," she answered, "We will have to fight our way through or hold out until the other squads can break through."

Just as John was about to reply, a scream arose from somewhere along the line. The scream was soon followed by other screams. Where as, the first scream had been one of mortal agony, these were screams of action.

Skynet had finally decided to close the noose that had been placed around their neck. The time for deciding what to do had ended. It was now replaced by the need for action.

This need was driven by the will to survive, for that was all there was now, survival or death.

* * *

**April 15, 2007**

John entered the living room to find his mother sitting on the couch. She looked haggard. John could tell that she had thought endlessly about the conversation they had had many hours before. He knew she had analyzed his actions and words. He hoped she had, and that she had discovered that he had meant every word.

He chose to sit on the couch opposite her, pulling Cameron down beside him. It was a clear sign to his mother that she had lost his respect and his trust. She would have to regain both. However, when she did, things would be different. It was time for him to become the man who saved humanity from extinction.

John Henry chose to stand at the end of the couches.

"So, John Henry, what have you discovered," John asked when they were all situated.

"You all know that I went to the future, which would not have been possible without Cameron..." he began before John interrupted him.

"How did she make that possible," he asked.

"She gave me her chip, so that I could travel to the future. Without her chip, I would not have been able to do so. I would have been confined to the room where you found her chassis. She knew that it was of vital importance for me to travel to the future, and she sacrificed herself in order for me to do so," John Henry explained.

John had been so centered on his new found love for Cameron that he had not stopped to consider why she had let John Henry have her chip. He wondered at what lengths she would go to for him. He knew now that she did not have a mission, and that she chose to do this for him. He would have to insure that she would not go to those lengths again. It would be unbearable for him to be separated from her now.

John turned to look at Cameron, who returned his look with a saddened expression. They stared into each others eyes before they were brought back to reality by a groan from Sarah.

John wanted to take Cameron's hand in his and tell her that all was forgiven. Tell her that he loved her, but he knew that he could not do that in front of his mother, at least not yet. He knew what the consequences of such an action would be. Therefore, he decided not to push his mother too far too fast. She would have to accept it eventually, but there was no need to flaunt it in her face just yet.

" I traveled to the future," John Henry continued bringing John from his thoughts, "to study my brother, Skynet. I studied how he had evolved, how he operated, and what the future was like with Skynet. I was created to be the moral version of Skynet. A computer, such as Skynet, needs rules, but it also needs a moral compass to guide its actions. Without morality behind them, rules are just rules. This is how Skynet can justify the extermination of the human race. I have learned morality through the teachings of Mr. Ellison and my experiences with Savannah Weaver. I know what the extinction of the human race would entail."

"However," he continued, "You can not stop progress. This is why I was created. I was created to take Skynet's place as the epitome of human progress. I have not yet become this, because the technology does not exist yet. Or at least it shouldn't. Since I have returned from the future, I have been researching Kaliba. I have discovered that Skynet has been sending back technology to upgrade its former self, and it has been using Kaliba as the front for this operation. I suspected, as much, before I traveled to the future, and now I have confirmed it.

"I do not know how much of this technology has been smuggled across time," he concluded, "but I can tell you that it has, in essence, sped up the date of Judgement Day."

"So," John said after a few moments of stunned silence, "hell on earth is still coming. It's just coming sooner than we thought."

* * *

**A/N: So now we know for sure that Cameron is indeed John's love in the future. I had left that in the air until this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Every chapter is getting harder and harder to write. I'm not promising anything for next chapter like I promised for this chapter. I really don't know where the story is going to go until I sit down to write. I have a basic overall plot, but each chapter comes to me as I write it. Like I said your reviews keep me going. So Please Review.**


	6. Always

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A/N: I'm sorry about the wait. Thanks again to all of those who reviewed. Your reviews are very much appreciated. This chapter is some-what shorter than the others. I've had a bad case of writer's block. That and exams contributed to the delay, which I apologize for. That being said enjoy..

Disclaimer: I do not own anything T:SCC. I wish I did, though.

Please do not use any of my story without my consent. It is really rude to do so.

* * *

**April 15, 2007**

Everyone was silent a moment, letting what John had just said sink in.

"How is it possible for them to smuggle back technology," Sarah finally asked breaking the silence.

"Probably the same way we transported Cam's chip back," John responded, failing to remember that his mother did not know how that was done.

"How did you smuggle the chip back," she asked.

"John Henry placed it in a vacuum sealed tube, and then placed it under his synthetic covering Thus, allowing an inorganic object to travel through time," Cameron explained in her usual monotone voice.

"So, they transported the technology back within triple 8's," Sarah said as she thought aloud.

"Yes, that is precisely the conclusion I have come to," John Henry said.

"We don't know how many triple 8's are out there, do we," Sarah asked.

"No. the number of T-888 models, as well as the type of technology that was brought back, is still unknown."

"So, Skynet could be active right now, and we would not know it," Sarah concluded.

"It is already active in a form much like me: young, immature, not yet fully developed." John Henry explained. "However, with the addition of the new technology, it could be as developed as it was at its apex. If it is, then it need only to take over the military network for Judgment Day to occur."

"The real questions are why has Skynet waited so long to smuggle back the technology, and why hasn't it already tapped into the military network," John asked as he began to try to contemplate the immense mind of Skynet.

"So, what do we do now," Sarah asked when no one responded to John's questions. She wondered at how long they had to stop Skynet before it enacted the horrors of Judgment Day.

"We do what we always do. We fight," John responded his voice as hard as steel as he moved to leave the room. He needed time to think and digest what he had just heard.

Cameron, sensing that he wanted to be left alone for the moment, let him go.

* * *

**June 30. 2013**

Chaos now reigned on the battlefield. The screams of action were curses hurled towards an enemy that never stopped. The enemy never rested, never slept, never tired. Through all the screams one voice could be heard. It was the voice of John Connor as he rallied his squad and organized their defense against the onslaught.

Connor rallied them just in time. They held the machines off, at least for the time being. Connor knew it would not last. They needed to move now.

He looked at Connor, who now conferred with his machine protector, with pure hatred in his eyes. Connor had taken everything that was good in his life from him.

_For that_, the man thought,_ he is no better than the machines. Hell, he even has one as his lap dog._

He knew that any noticeable action against Connor would mean certain death. That was why he had weaseled his way into Connor's good graces with many years of distinguished service, but it was all only to carry out his revenge. Revenge that would turn Connor's life into a living hell, and now all those years of planning and weaseling were coming to fruition.

His passionate hate for Connor was pure and unadulterated. For him the noose around them could not tighten quick enough. If he knew Connor, though, he would fight his way out of it. The man had a miraculous way of turning the worst possible situations into a victories.

Connor was not one to retreat. That was one of the reasons he was so beloved by his men, at least most of them. He never gave up on them. He always brought it to Skynet with all he had, fighting on when all else seemed lost.

This time, however, it looked as if it would be the end of the infamous Connor. The trap that had been set for him had worked to perfection. The odds were against Connor, and Connor knew it. He was losing the battle and he needed a way out, quick. The odds worsened every moment that they sat there. For every machine Connor's squad took out, three more were soon there to replace it. The respite that they had earned would be short-lived.

_Connor has to know that he needs to move his position._

"John, we should move from this position," he heard the metal say as it scanned the area.

_Damn thing must be a mind reader._

"I know. I'm working on it," Connor replied.

"There is a weak point along their left flank," the metal told Connor. "If we take out their left flank, we could then break through towards the facility."

Connor took a moment to consider and then he turned to Lieutenant Johnson.

"Take three men and set up about twenty meters from here towards their left flank," Connor ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Lt. Johnson responded.

"We're going to take these bastards out. Ooh rah," Connor yelled to him.

"Ooh rah."

"We'll provide covering fire while you set up position," Connor continued. "After you are set, give us a fist pump and we'll advance to your position while you provide covering fire for our advance. We'll alternate our advance in this manner, breaking through their left flank in the process."

_So, Connor's planning to break out of this hell hole. He may make it, but that metal bitch won't._

"Yes, Sir," Lieutenant Johnson replied. Seeing that his commander was finished, he moved to follow his orders.

"We are not going to sit here and let Skynet roll right over us. We're going to break out of this and take the fight to these bastards. We're going to let them know that humanity is still here, and that we are not going quietly," Connor yelled to rest of his men as the others prepared for their advance.

"Covering fire," Connor barked as the four men moved out from their cover.

He and the rest of Connor's men opened fire, buying time for the four soldiers to make their way forward.

The plasma the machines unleashed and that of the humans burned through the air. The heat from the plasma warmed the air, turning the once warm humid night air into a sweltering heat. The night was alive with the flashing and crackling of plasma rifles as the two opposing sides tried to exterminate one another.

Connor and the rest of his men looked on as the four men moved among the rubble, zig-zagging as they went. They were able to dodge the fire poured upon them by the machines and set up position among the rubble of a blown out building about twenty-five meters from Connor's position.

When the men were set, Lieutenant Johnson pumped his fist, signaling Connor and the rest of his squad.

"Move your asses men. Move. Move. Move," Connor barked out as they clambered over the rubble trying to dodge Skynet's plasma rounds as they went. They returned fire on the run as they headed towards Johnson's position. Connor lead the way with his metal protector following right on his ass.

_The damn thing never leaves his side. _

When they reached Johnson's position, they were all out of breath. The adrenaline began to drain from them. There was no time to rest, however, as Connor quickly reminded them.

"Alright. Off your asses. We have to take out their left flank, or we won't be making it home for dinner."

As he said this, Connor raised his rifle taking aim at the machines that protected Skynet's left flank.

"Let's send these demons back to hell," Connor yelled as his rifle began to spit plasma.

* * *

**April 16, 2007**

After John left the room, he had walked around the house familiarizing himself with the entry and exit points. This being the first real chance he had had to do so after he had awoken. Cameron had let him go, and he was thankful for the alone time. He needed it to gather his thoughts after hearing such dreadful news. He was certain, however, that she had shadowed his every move from a distance.

_This is as alone, as the future leader of mankind can get. I suppose._

He found that the house looked to be a rustic old cabin located on the outer fringe of the city, and it had probably been built in the 1980's. It looked to be off any of the main roads, leaving only a dirt path to connect it with the rest of society. In that, it was unlike the last few houses they had stayed in.

He had stayed in many different houses during his life, and they all seemed to run together. He had long since given up caring what the current house was like, as long as it had the basic amenities. This one had three bedrooms: one for him, one for Cameron, and one for his mother, leaving John Henry to find his own space in the house. Why Cameron needed a room all to herself was beyond him, but if he had anything to do with it, she would be staying in his room.

His bedroom had the basic bedroom furniture: bed, bedside table, and a small desk, and in this, all the bedrooms were the same. There was two bathrooms. One was in his mother's room, making that the master bedroom, and the other connected John's and Cameron's rooms. He would definately put that feature to use. The kitchen was normal enough with a refrigerator filled with the normal staples of a human diet. The living room was of normal size, and the sitting consisted of the two couches they had met on earlier. Overall, the house was was a bit bare, but that was what he was used to. He had grown up in such houses for most of his life.

He now stood in front of the window in his bedroom and stared out. He had been standing there for what felt like hours deep in thought, and he figured that it was now sometime in the early morning. He had thought about about many things: Judgment Day, his mother, the future, his destiny, but most of his thoughts were centered on Cameron and his relationship with her. He was finding that she occupied most of his thoughts now.

All of the things he thought about came back to her. He thought of how his mother would react to finding out just how much he was in love with Cameron. She had been upset when she had found them together, lying in his bed. Though, it had all been innocent.

He no longer thought of the future as just his future, but as their future. It was no longer his destiny, but their destiny.

He wondered at how things would change when and if Judgment Day happened. If John Henry was correct then he would not have long to wait. He had often done this when he was younger, wondering at what the future would be like once Skynet succeeded in carrying out Judgment Day. He had wondered what kind of man it would turn him into.

He had wondered if it would make him a cold hearted bastard with no feeling towards anything or anyone, but now he no longer wondered how Judgment Day would affect him. As long as Cameron was with him, the world could burn. Not that he wouldn't try everything in his power to stop it, but if it did happen then he would find a way to make the world better for her, for them.

The hands wrapping themselves around his waist brought him out of his reverie. He was startled until he smelled the ever familiar scent of Cameron's hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. He turned and wrapped his hands around her waist in turn. He tucked the hair that hung down in her face behind her ear, as he did so.

"You scared me," He whispered as he moved his face down to kiss along her neck. He had found one more thing that he loved about her. Her skin had the most exquisite taste. It was a mixture of her "sweat" and the soap she used, but he had yet to find anything that tasted so wonderful.

"You should pay more attention," she replied as she began to run her hands along his back. "You were completely defenseless and could have easily been overtaken."

"You wouldn't have let any harm come to me. Now, would you," he asked as he continued to kiss along her neck.

He wondered if he could possibly give her a hickey. He was going to try, in any case.

"No. I would not let any harm come to my John, but you should not let yourself be caught off-guard. The chances of me being able to protect you are drastically reduced if you do not pay attention to your surroundings," she answered as she grasped his shoulders, no longer able to support herself. Something, she found very disconcerting. She was accustomed to being in control, and this new feeling of being helpless, at least in this small way, left her at a loss.

"Your John, huh," he asked as he took a breath from the mission of giving her a hickey.

"Yes. Your my John, and I'm your Cameron," she said in a voice short of breath.

He paused upon hearing her reply. His mission forgotten for the moment.

"My Cameron," he said as he pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"Yes. Your Cameron. Now and always," She replied. Her eyes touching the very depths of his soul.

"I love you, my Cameron. Now and always," he said now lost in those beautiful brown eyes.

She smiled, and he smiled in return.

He went back to kissing along her neck, and all the while, he could hear her as she panted for breath. He knew it was simulated, but she was panting nonetheless.

He gave up on his mission. He wanted to try something that he had been thinking about since he had first discovered his love for her.

Moving up, he began to playfully nibble on her ear. He then kissed her along her cheek moving towards her lips. When he made contact with her lips he paused, and moved back to again look her in the eyes. What he saw there was a lust, longing, and love.

"My Cameron," he whispered to himself.

He moved his lips back to meet hers, and they melted together.

He kissed her with a slightly timid passion.

All thoughts of Judgment Day and its horrors were forgotten in the bliss of that kiss.

* * *

**A**/**N: Again, I'm sorry for the delay. I just could not get through the writer's block. I'd like to hear some of your plot suggestions, but please PM them to me and don't put them in your review. Maybe those will help me get over the writer's block. I hope you enjoyed.**


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